The effects of different types of crop straw on the transformation of pentachlorophenol in flooded paddy soil

Highlights: • Crop straw can promote the formation of highly reducing condition. • The addition of crop straws increased PCP, Fe (III) and SO₄²⁻ reduction. • 2,3,4,5-TeCP and 3,4,5-TCP were the major intermediate products of PCP. • The NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ derived from the straw might inhibit the 3,4,5-TCP dechlorination. • SO₄²⁻ reducing bacteria might be involved in para- and meta-dechlorination of PCP. The incorporation of various types of crop straw to agricultural soils has long been practiced to improve soil fertility. However, the effects of crop straw on the fate of organo-chlorine pesticides in flooded paddy soils are not well understood. The dechlorination of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in four vertical profiles (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-50 mm depth) of two flooded paddy soils, a Plinthudult (Soil 1) and a Tropudult (Soil 2) was investigated following the application of four crop straws (rice, wheat, rape and Chinese milk vetch) to them. In all treatments, PCP dechlorination decreased with increasing soil depth. In the crop straw treatments, PCP was almost completely dechlorinated within 60 days, and rapidly transformed to 2,3,4,5-tetrachlorophenol, and further to 3,4,5-trichlorophenol. Further dechlorination of 3,4,5-trichlorophenol also occurred in all treatments except for the rape straw. It is possible that the NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ derived from the straw are responsible for the inhibition of the 3,4,5-trichlorophenol dechlorination. The reduction of Fe (III) and SO₄²⁻ increased following application of the crop straws. The RDA analysis indicated that the Fe (III) reducing bacteria might be involved in the ortho-dechlorination, while SO₄²⁻ reducing bacteria were involved in para- and meta-dechlorination of PCP. The complete detoxification of PCP depended upon both the crop straw type and soil properties.